Overseas to get degrees

Students and faculty discuss the pros and cons of studying abroad

Tori Thomas / Assistant Opinion Editor/ The USD Vista

When at the University of San Diego, it is likely someone will mention the study abroad program, whether it be an advisor, a tour guide, or a friend who read about it online. According to The Power of International Education, USD’s study abroad program ranks second among national doctoral universities for undergraduate study abroad participation. According to the International Center’s website, 80% of USD’s undergraduate students study abroad.

There are many places to take your abroad experience here at USD, whether it be Japan, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, or many more. There are 30 different countries that can be visited in over 80 different programs. Semester-long programs come in two different forms: exchange or through an affiliate.

International Center counselor Alana Thomas described the difference between the two programs. “Exchange programs require a little more flexibility in their schedule as well as independence,” Thomas said. “In affiliate programs, they are based on the academic structure of U.S. schools. So the student wouldn’t have to use special grading scales and the classes will be structured similarly. For exchange programs, that institution has the structure of what is normal in that country.”

For many, an abundance of options can feel overwhelming. Junior Melody Day, marketing intern at the International Center, went abroad in the spring of her sophomore year to England, studying at St. Clare’s and Oxford University. For her, deciding where to go was easy.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to study abroad in England,” Day said. “It was one of the reasons that I came to USD, because I knew they offered a program that studied abroad in Oxford. I am a Marketing major and an English minor, and I knew they offered a lot of English classes at Oxford.”

Senior Stephanie Richardson, who studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland during the fall of her junior year, was so wooed by her experience that she wants to return to Europe in the near future. “I really want to go back,” Richardson said. “I’m actually thinking of possibly attending graduate school in the United Kingdom.”

Senior Caitlin deBoer also took advantage of the abroad program at USD not once but twice, spending a semester in Prague and an intersession in London.“It changed my life,” deBoer said. “Traveling and being forced to grow through the independence that is involved.”

Studying abroad, however,  is not without its difficulties, and not every moment can be an international fantasy. Issues can still arise no matter how memorable and exciting the overall experience may be.

Despite Richardson’s love of the program, she expressed that it caused hardships in her USD academic life.“As a biochem major, going abroad definitely set me back in classes,” said Richardson. “I’m taking a much harder class schedule now as a senior.”

In many cases, it’s all about picking the right program, which might not always be an easy task. There are many different issues that can factor into the decision of where a student goes on their overseas adventure. deBoer highlights the importance of choosing your destination as an individual, not as a friend.
“Picking the right place for you is important,” deBoer said. “A drawback I saw was people… going where their friends went and not enjoying it as much.”

Not all study abroad programs easily transfer into USD curriculum, and it is important to pick transferrable classes and a location from which credits transfer. For example, in the psychology department, there are only a few programs where the psychology courses offered are equivalent on USD’s campus. At some international universities, such as in Edinburgh where Richardson studied, visiting students are only allowed to take certain courses.

Thomas had some recommendations as to how students looking to go abroad should choose the program best suited for them.“Academics are the most important (consideration),” Thomas said. “It’s important to get the classes that (students) need. If a student is trying to decide between multiple programs, I’d recommend somewhere that means something to them. Some people have goals like becoming fluent in another language or they want to go somewhere that their families are from.”

The International Center attempts to make studying abroad as accessible to students as possible at USD. There are a wide variety of resources available to help ensure that the transition to a foreign country is smooth.

Day recommends looking into the curriculum of the program before choosing it, as there are specific classes offered to abroad students that are not part of normal USD curriculum..“There’s a class specifically for people who want to go abroad,” Day said. “Study Abroad 101. Students are also able to make appointments with counselors here one on one. I definitely felt supported going abroad.”

Students can also receive financial help for making their international dreams a reality. All financial aid given to students in a regular semester transfers to the abroad programs as well. There are also resources provided by the International Center to make short term (abroad)  sessions, such as summer or intersession, affordable as well. There are need-based scholarships as well as a newly implemented social media scholarship, which is brand new this summer.

While the scholarship is new, Day discussed the information available about it.“Students compete prior to the program start date to see which person will get the scholarship,” Day said. “Once the person goes abroad they send pictures three or four times a week to our accounts and then we repost them to the USD study abroad instagram and facebook.”

Study abroad is a unique opportunity for undergraduates, and USD offers a large program. It is definitely worth a look for any undergraduate wanting to expand their horizons.